Cardiac arrhythmias are responsible for 80% of sudden cardiac deaths, which accounts for 15% of global mortalities. “My doctoral thesis focuses on membrane-proteins known as ion-channels, which play a critical role in heart arrythmias. Essentially, I used computer simulations to study the molecular mechanisms by which inherited-mutations, cell-membrane components, and commonly prescribed medications affect the function of these channels, leading to cardiac arrythmias. Overall, the new knowledge resulting from my doctoral thesis may help the future development of antiarrhythmic and anticancer therapies and for designing bio-inspired synthetic nanopores with potential industrial applications for water desalination and electricity generation.”
